Static Shock: Jimmy — My Thoughts

Here’s my contribution to National Bullying Prevention Month (which is in October).

In the Season 2 episode Jimmy of Static Shock, a kid named Jimmy Osgood is pushed too far when a bully named Nick Connor picks on him, along with his friends Kevin and Ray. Unfortunately, this leads Jimmy to do the very same thing that many other kids I’ve read about who were bullied did — use a gun in order to put a stop to the teasing, once and for all.

Even more unfortunate is the fact that a gun is exactly what Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (aka the Trenchcoat Mafia), as well as Seung-Hui Cho, used to create a school shooting at Columbine High School in 1999 and at Virginia Tech in 2007, respectively.

If Nick, Kevin and Ray had heard of those three guys, they would’ve realized that if you’re a bully and you push someone too far, there’s a good chance they might retaliate by bringing a gun to school and either commit suicide, or try to kill their fellow classmates. However, in the case of Eric, Dylan and Seung-Hui Cho, it was a deadly combination of all those things, although Eric and Dylan did try setting off pipe bombs in the cafeteria at Columbine, which thankfully didn’t work.

Also, I can see Virgil confronting Nick in the aftermath:

Virgil: My best friend was shot because of you. Not only that, you ruined a life. If anyone had to have been shot that time, I would’ve preferred it to be you. I hope you’re proud of yourself!

And here’s what I would say to Nick:

Me:(to Nick) Nick, I hope you’re happy. I can see why you’re messed up; you were probably bullied yourself once. Think of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, and look at what happened to them. They started a school shooting at Columbine High on April 20, 1999, and then killed themselves. I don’t want that to happen to you — ever.